Kirkwall
} |name = Kirkwall |icon = Kirkwall map icon.png |image = Kirkwall concept art 2.jpg |px = 270px |location = Free Marches |type = City-State |appearances = Dragon Age: The Calling (mentioned) Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening (mentioned) Witch Hunt (mentioned) Dragon Age II Dragon Age: Redemption Legacy (mentioned) Mark of the Assassin Dragon Age: Last Flight Dragon Age: Inquisition - The Black Emporium Dragon Age: Knight Errant Dragon Age: Hard in Hightown }} Kirkwall, also known as The City of Chains and historically as Emerius, is a coastal city-state and a major population center located in the Free Marches. It is on the southern edge of the Vimmark Mountains, east of the Planasene Forest, and north across the Waking Sea from Ferelden. Background Founded under the name Emerius in -620 Ancient , after Magister Emerius Krayvan, on the edge of the Imperium to be the main supplier of jet stone to build a Minrathous temple. The city gained notoriety after it was elected to be the new heart of the slave trade after a slave revolt made Archon Vanarius Issar fear for his security when he was almost killed. Magisters competed viciously for the honor of governing the port for nearly two decades before Emerius married his son to the archon's daughter. The Krayvan family constructed the Gallows, patronized the next three archons and were the main backers for the Imperial Highway into the Fereldan Valley, which devastated them when Andraste led her rebellion from there against the Imperium. At its height, Emerius was one of the mightiest Imperial cities with 1,000,000 slaves living and working in the city. The city was defended by the Fourteenth Cadre also known as The Black Cadre and was regarded by most Imperial soldiers to be a punishment to serve there. The City of Chains came to be known as Kirkwall in -25 Ancient, following a massive slave revolt which started when a popular Alamarri slave named Radun was assassinated by magisters wary of his influence; this led to extremely violent retributions, including the sacking of Hightown and the death of its Tevinter rulers. Kirkwall has changed hands many times since then and has always been a valuable port, the nexus of nearly all trade that flows between the Free Marches and Ferelden. Natives of Kirkwall are known as "Kirkwallers". Codex entry: A Badly Copied Leaflet History In 5:21 Exalted, at the height of the Fourth Blight, Kirkwall was one of several cities in the Free Marches threatened by the advance of the darkspawn horde. The Grey Wardens were able to evacuate many thousands of refugees from the city to a safe haven in the Vimmark Mountains, albeit at a high cost in Warden lives.Dragon Age: Last Flight, ch. 14, 16–19 In 7:56 Storm, Qunari invaders took Kirkwall in a night raid and occupied it for four years, forcibly converting much of the populace to the Qun and making the natives work in labor camps previously manned by slaves. It was liberated by Orlesians under the chevalier Michel Lafaille, who was appointed Viscount in 7:60 by the emperor. He pursued a campaign of religious reeducation and formed the Kirkwall City Guard to act as the city's defenders. In 8:05 Blessed, Kirkwall rebelled against Orlesian rule and gained independence, but maintained the title of viscount as its ruler. At the onset of the Dragon, Chivalry Threnhold became Viscount of the city. Historical accounts paint him as a vicious thug who took power through a campaign of intimidation. His son Perrin succeeded him in 9:14. After he used the harbor's ancient chains to block sea traffic in the Waking Sea and charge exorbitant fees from Orlesian ships, Divine Beatrix III ordered the city's templars to pressure him into reopening the Waking Sea passage.Codex entry: History of Kirkwall: Chapter 4 As a result, in 9:21 Dragon, Viscount Perrin Threnhold attempted to expel the Templar Order from Kirkwall, killing Knight-Commander Guylian in the raid of the Templar stronghold. Knight-Templar Meredith Stannard and a group of her best templars marched on the Viscount's Keep and had him arrested, thrown in his own dungeons and stripped of his title. She was promoted to Knight-Commander by Grand Cleric Elthina soon after. With the Chantry's support, Meredith appointed Marlowe Dumar to succeed Perrin, though she remained the true authority in the city from the Gallows. The Champion of Kirkwall killed First Enchanter Orsino and Knight-Commander Meredith Stannard during the rebellion in Kirkwall, and later became the Viscount or fled the city.}} Sebastian Vael reclaimed his title as Prince of Starkhaven and in 9:41 led an invasion of Kirkwall. In the mission Annexing Kirkwall, Sebastian requested support from the Inquisition in helping him suppress the city's resistance forces led by Guard-Captain Aveline Vallen and hunt down Anders and his associates. The Inquisitor can choose to send Leliana's agents to bolster Sebastian's forces and strong-arm Aveline to back down or send Cullen's military to bolster Aveline's resistance forces and repel Sebastian's occupation forces back to Starkhaven. Sebastian Vael reclaimed his title as Prince of Starkhaven and in 9:41 decided to aid in the reconstruction of Kirkwall, which continued to suffer from Anders' actions. In the mission Aiding Kirkwall, Sebastian requested that the Inquisition send in soldiers and workers. The Inquisitor can choose to heed Leliana's advice and ignore the request in order to focus resources on defeating Corypheus, have Josephine appeal to noble allies to help Kirkwall, or order Cullen to send in troops to expunge red lyrium from the Gallows and further rebuild the city. }} Governance Kirkwall has been governed by a Viscount since the Orlesian occupation of the city, as the title itself is Orlesian. It has never truly been free to determine its own course, and after the ousting of Perrin Threnhold the Templar Order held considerable influence over his successor, Marlowe Dumar, and the city. If the ruling line of a Viscount dies out due to no living heirs, then the nobility of Kirkwall will gather to elect a new line from their ranks. City crest Kirkwall's coat of arms is a stylized knot work representation of a dragon. It evolved from a symbol of rebellion from the time when Kirkwall was a center for the Tevinter slave trade. It was an image that catalyzed the slaves to overthrow the ruling magisters. While the symbol has changed over time, its message has not: Kirkwall is a city unto itself, beholden to no one.Kirkwall pendant Map Places Banter Party banter may be triggered at the following spots: * Just outside the Hawke Estate * Inside the Kirkwall Chantry, in front of the main door * On the stairs leading to the Viscount's Keep * At the base of the stairway leading from Lowtown to Hightown * In front of the Hanged Man * In Darktown, near the elevator leading to Lowtown Trivia * Kirkwall declared the common nug a noxious vermin in 5:20 Exalted over fears that the animals carried the Blight. The extermination became known as the Battle of Squealing Plains. It is not spoken of in polite company.Mentioned in a Dragon Age II loading screen. * Several of the nobles in Kirkwall are of Orlesian origin, such as the Launcet and the Carrac families. * Kirkwall, the real world capital of the Orkney Islands in Scotland, also had a Viscount, who was traditionally the heir of the Earl of Orkney. * Kirkwall's key to the city controls one of the giant chain nets in the harbor. * Kirkwall neighbourhoods follow old fault lines and veins in the rock. Longtime residents still get lost, with only dwarves never experiencing this problem.Dragon Age: Hard in Hightown, p. 31 * The noble Hightown neighbourhood is colloquially known as “the Garden.” There are no house numbers, instead metal plaques with family heraldry hang over the lintels of estate doors.Dragon Age: Hard in Hightown, pp. 9-11 Gallery Kirkwall concept art.jpg|Kirkwall concept art Kirkwall concept art 3.jpg|Kirkwall concept art Kirkwall concept art 4.jpg|Kirkwall concept art HawkeStatue.png|A statue representing victory over the qunari at the docks. DA2_Kirkwall_-_dark_corridor_Twins_of_Kirkwall_statues.jpg|The twins of Kirkwall Hanged man graffiti.png|Graffiti in The Hanged Man shows the old Tevinter heraldry roughly painted over the newer Kirkwall heraldry. The Champion of Kirkwall tarot.png|Tarot Card Depicting Kirkwall's City Map See also References External links * "Kirkwall" on the official website (UK) Category:Cities Category:Dragon Age II locations Category:Dragon Age: Last Flight locations Category:Dragon Age: Hard in Hightown locations Category:Free Marches